He nodded. “M. de Baudri is doing it to force her to yield,� he said slowly; “he has sworn to marry her. I do not believe that he has taken one Huguenot prisoner to-day, save—� he stopped, and looked out of the window at the sentry, who kept staring in with a furious face.
“Dieu, what a fiend!� exclaimed Babet, thrusting her tongs into the fire, where they would heat, after casting a vicious glance toward the window. “He has given mademoiselle until to-morrow morning to decide,� she added.
“What will she do?� the cobbler asked in a strange voice.
“Do? oh, I know her!� the woman retorted with a snort; “to save those two she would die. She’ll marry him unless—� Babet thrust the tongs deeper in the coals, “unless I wring his neck!�
“That cannot be done,� remarked le Bossu, soberly, “but something must be done to-night.�
“What?� snapped his companion, “what can a hunchback and an old woman do? A pretty pair of birds for such an emergency. Leer away, young man; I have the tongs ready for you!� she added in an aside, her fierce eyes on the window.
“Has she one true friend with influence in Nîmes?� the cobbler asked.
Babet shook her head, and then, after a moment’s thought,—
“There is Père Ambroise,� she said.
Le Bossu’s face brightened. “Good!� he said, “the priest can do much; and now, I am a Catholic, Babet, but as there is a God in heaven, I mean no harm! Is there any boy or man who could carry a message amongst the Camisards?�